Don’t talk to me about Windows 8!

Arrgggh! My wife just bought a new PC loaded with the Windows 8 operating system. I tried to wrap my brain around it and now my head hurts!

Arrgggh! My wife (Gina the Gorgeous) just bought herself a new PC that's loaded with the Windows 8 operating system. I tried to wrap my brain around it and now my head hurts!

On the one hand, I know that I – like a lot of folks – am resistant to change. On the other hand, I also know that you have to adapt or … well, "die" might be a bit too strong of a word, although I would certainly like to have strong words with whatever morons came up with Windows 8.

Here's the deal. I started out when everything was command-line only. Then came graphical user interfaces like Windows, which limped its way to Windows 3.1. I remember not being particularly happy when Windows 95 came out – "things" were "different" – but after a while I adapted and life was good.

The same thing happened when Windows 98 appeared on the scene – and again when Windows XP slapped me in the face like a wet kipper.

Fortunately, I managed to completely avoid the Windows Vista fiasco. I was dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century when my old computer died and I was forced to buy a new one running Windows 7, but I quickly discovered that I really liked Windows 7 (the "Search programs and files" feature is incredible and has "saved my bacon" on more occasions than I care to remember).

And so we come to Windows 8. Hmmm. What can I say? How about taking a deep breath and starting gently and thoughtfully with "I HATE IT!!!"?

I can see what they were trying to do. Tablet computers like the iPad (and other products with touch-screen interfaces) have revolutionized the way we use computers. I must admit that I would love to have touch-screen capability on all of my machines, but it's especially useful in things like tablets. The thing is, however, that the tablet is more of a "content consumer" than a "content creator" – and the touch-screen and associated interface is great for the consumer role and playing with applications on an individual basis.

The main thing here is that the touch-screen capability is an adjunct to the underlying graphical user interface (GUI). I want to keep my desktop interface while augmenting it with touch-screen functionality. The tile-based Windows 8 start screen (called Metro, I believe) seems to be geared up to content consumption – it "serves" you with information in real-time in a very attractive manner. But my wife and I use our PCs to create content. We want to be able to quickly and easily locate documents (files and folders) and locate and launch applications and drag data from one application to another and so on and so forth.

Now, you can get to a traditional desktop view from the Metro interface. If you are lucky, you can even get there more than once (by which I'm trying to convey that the process is in NO WAY intuitive). The problem is that when you launch an application like Internet Explorer, it seems that there is no way out again unless you use the sledgehammer approach of returning to Metro and then clicking everything in sight in the desperate hope that you will somehow find your way back to the desktop.

Seriously, I spent 30 minutes yesterday on Gina's Windows 8 machine inside a document trying to work out how to print it. Eventually I resorted to using the Save As option to copy the document to a USB memory stick, transport it to my Windows 7 computer, and print it from there.

Meanwhile, Gina is trilling away in the background saying encouraging things like "I thought you were supposed to be a computer expert!"

It really should NOT be this complicated.

Suffice it to say that I currently have a Windows 8 For Dummies book winging its way to me from Amazon (on the bright side, this was a good excuse for me to order the Python Essential Reference book I've been wanting). "Oh the ignominy," is all I can say.

Have you had any experience with Windows 8 yet? If so, do you agree with me, or do you think it's the best operating system you've ever seen (in which case the men in white coats are on their way)?

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@David "That means if she changes she'll have to get used to the new office ribbon, right?"She's getting used to it but really, she hasn't had to use the ribbon much. I did have to show her how to insert a row in Excel.

I just switched the computers so the Win7 box is under her desk. The XP box is in the temporary location. I had to connect it because she needed the browser bookmarks from the XP box.

This is why one should not wait for a disaster to upgrade. Suppose the XP box hard drive had died and the data was unrecoverable. Then what?

Because the Win7 box is a used computer (upgraded from Vista), I don't trust its hard drive. Most of her work files are on a USB flash drive and the few files she used at home only are not on a flask drive on the network where I can back them up easily and any time.

I'm trying to wean my wife off XP and on to Win7. It's a hard sell. The Win7 box is set up next to the XP box but I have to almost carry her to the Win7 box. The Win7 box has office 2013 while the PX box runs Office 2003. She's sort of OK with Outlook 2010 but she still wants to use WordPerfect 11 for typing. WP11 runs on Win7 but only in XP emulation mode.

The other problem with why she goes to the XP box is that her whole work setup is around that space. I'l move the Win7 box into the permananetn space and the XP box to the temporary space. That will help. At least the XP box is still running so it gives her comfort and it does make the transition easier. Still, old habits die hard.

Window is just anxious about other OS competitors especially iMac, this is all about keep rush up with new OS not necessary a better one but could be a worse than recent verson. Consumers become their testers at loss.

I loaded Windows 8 on a little-used laptop at home and once I got over the shock of the new interface I'm beginning to warm up to it. It s MUCH faster than win 7.
I'll be sticking with XP as long as I can on my computers at the office and in my lab at home. We tried rinning Win7 on a laptop at the office and had endless troubles with USB-based test equipment that had always worked flawlessly on XP. I expect Win 8 will have the same troubles.

Why not allow the user to choose his interface.
Boycott the ribbon!
I mean boycott the tiles!
:)
Call stick in the muds but if it works why change it.
Some new feature that you want to try?
Go watch the utube video-slideshow on how it works and decide if you want to switch your interface so you can use the new interface feature. Most of us would never update to the new interfaces.

Your view accurately reflects mine, too! There are HUGE productivity benefits to sticking with old tools unless new ones have REAL (rather than "gee-whiz") advantages. I'm an analog circuit designer (I can hear the kids snickering "old-school") and my computer is simply a time-saving TOOL ... not the end in itself that consumers of games, movies, you-tube, social media, ad-nauseum seem to regard them as. A true pity that Microsoft is alienating content producers for the fast money of consumers. As much as I hate the arrogance of Apple, once I can't use Windows 7 any more, I'll likely move to an Apple product! Let Microsoft have the "open mouth" consumers (love that phrase!) and virtual-friendship generation.

I have the same problem shopping at local stores. Using my credit card, sometimes I press on the screen and am told, "it's not a touch screen". Other times I'm looking for buttons and am told, "it's a touch screen". And they both look alike. It the same with ATM's at banks.
The problem today is there is no standardization in industry like there was years ago. Companies are free to do what they please and it's driving everyone crazy trying to keep up.
We used to have more cooperation among industries; where has it gone?
This reminds me of a story: I was touring England during the 70's and I noted, when my friend bought an appliance like a hair drier, it had no plug, just 3 bare wires.
Why no plug, I asked? They told me, "Every part of the city had a different outlet type, so rather than manufacture the hair drier with a dozen different plugs, they just leave it off". Then you have to take it to an electrical shop to get a plug installed.
Sounds like the same problem all over again, lack of standardization.